Rotary engine.



No. 741,149. PATENTED OCT. 13, 1903. J. W. LARIMORE.

RGTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7. 1903.

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ROTARY" ENGINE.

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N O M 0 D E L 2 S H E E T S S H E E T 2 M fr ivo. 741,149.

' VUNITED STATESA Patented october 13, 190e.

Partnr Ormes.

.IOHN W. LARIMORE, OF MODESTO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE LARIMORE ROTARY ENGINE COMPANY, OF PEKIN, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part f Letters :Patent No. 741,149, dated October 13, 1903.

Application filed February '7, 1903. Serial No. 142.268. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may con/cern,.-

Beit known that I, JOHN W. LARIMQRE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Modesto, in the county of Macoupin and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is'a specification.

This invention relates to engines of the rotary type and contemplates a practical and ro edective arrangement of parts embodying means for utilizing the steam expansively in an effective manner and controlling the same, whereby all of the advantageous features of an ordinary reciprocating engine may be obi 5 tained.

The invention especially has in view a simpliiied construction of rotary engine in which not only a speedy and powerful motion is directly imparted to the drive-shaft, but which zo also provides for such an easy running of the parts as to effect great economy of steam and fuel.

Another object of the invention is toprovide improved means for throttling the supply of 2 5 steam to any required extent and. also for quickly and conveniently reversing the direction of feed of the live steam to provide for reversing the motion of the piston. In connection with the valve mechanism the invengo tion also provides auxiliary means associated with the live-steam supply, whereby the latter may be controlled manually independent of the main slidevalve actuated from the drive-shaft to the engine.

With these and many other objects in view, which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be 4o hereinafter more fully described, illustrated,

and claimed.

The essential features of the invention involved in the carrying out of the aforesaid ob-- jects are necessarily susceptible to modification; but a preferred embodiment of the engine is shown in the accompanying drawings,

in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a rotary engine constructed in accordance with the pres- 5o ent invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 8 3 ofvFig. 2. Fig. 4 is an inner face view of one of the side plates of the cylinder, exposing the cam-adjusting groove for adjusting the position of the piston-wings. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional View of the steam-chest on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view of the reversing-valve and its casing on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a detail elevation of the valve-operating mechanism for controlling the movement of the main cutoff slide. l

Like reference-numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The working parts of the engine are associated withthe main cylinder l of circular form. This cylinder is preferably of sectional formation and essentially consists of the npper and lower semioylindrical sections 2and 3, respectively, which are provided at their meeting edges with the matching ears 4, receiving the coupling-bolts 5, which serve to detachably connect the two sections of the cylinder and facilitate the assembling and takingapart of the same. Suitable packing is provided at the joint between the two cylinder-sections to prevent leakage of steam at such point.

The sectional cylinder l is provided at its lower side with a suitable supporting-base 6 and is inclosed at its sides by the opposite side cover-plates '7, bolted or otherwise snitably fastened to the circular body or rim of the cylinder and provided upon their inner faces with continuous cam or eccentric adjusting-grooves 8, which cooperate with the radially-disposed slidable piston-wings 9, carried by the rotating piston drum or body l0, working within the interior piston-chamber 1l of the cylinder l.

The interior piston-chamber ll of the cylinder is of an eccentric form, although the true circular or cylindrical outline of the piston drum or body lO is preserved. The said piston-drum l0 may be said to be eccentrically arranged within the piston-chamber 11; but, as shown in the drawings, the interior ICO piston-chamber 11 of the cylinder is provided, l preferably at its upper side, with the interior eccentric wall-section 12, against which the upper side of the piston-drum works in a steam-tight joint, and therefore the cylinder is provided therein at a point Within the vertical plane of the axis of the piston-drum 10 with a fixed impact-abutment 13, provided therein with a packing-groove 14, in which is seated the spring-adjusted packing-strip 15, normally held against the periphery of the rotating piston-drum to maintain a steamtight joint between the same and the fixed abutment.

' At opposite sides of the fixed abutment 13 the Wall of the cylinder is pierced by the main cylinder-ports 16 and 1.7, respectively, which extend inwardly around the Wall or rim of the cylinder a sufficient distance so as to be constantly in communication with the pistonchamber 1l at points below the plane of the upper impact-abutment 13, and hence providing means for the free feeding and exhaust of the piston-chamber 11 as the pistondrum rotates. While one of the main cylinder-ports is acting as a feeding-port the other constitutes the main cylinder exhaust-port, and vice Versa.

Referring more particularly to the mounting and action of the piston-wings 9, it is to be observed that preferably a pair of these wings are employed, the same being arranged, respectively, at diametrically opposite sides of the horizontal axis 18 of the piston drum or body. This axis is a drive-shaft which extends through the sides of the cylinder and is supported in suitable exterior bearingstands. (Not shown.) To provide for the slidable mounting of the piston-wings 9, the piston drum or body 10 is provided in the periphery thereof with radially-disposed sockets 19 of sufficient depth to accommodate the movement of the wings 9, and the latter are provided at their inner corners with the outstanding guiding-studs 20, traveling in the cam-adjusting grooves 8 at the inner sides of the piston-chamber. By following the contour of these grooves the piston-wings 9 are held in constant contact with and are caused to retreat and project, according to the position they occupy With reference to the eccentric contour of the piston-chamber 11. The said piston-Wings are preferably provided in their peripheral edges with suitable packing 21, contacting with the walls of the pistonchamber to maintain steam-tight joints.

Surmounting the cylinder-body, over the main cylinder-ports 16 and 17 thereof, is a valve-casing 22. This valve-casing 22 may be fitted to the cylinder-body in any suitable manner and is pierced entirely therethrough by the separate live-steam ports 23 and 24, whose inner ends communicate, respectively, with the cylinder-ports 16 and 17 and whose outer ends open through the valve-seat 25, over Which is arranged the steam-chest 26, to

which is connected in any suitable manner the live-steam-supply pipe 27.

Arranged to work upon the valve-seat 25 over the ports 23 and 24 is a main cut-off slide-valve 28, working transversely of the chest 26 and having a valve-stem 29 extending through the side of the chest and pivotally connected at its outer extremity, as at 30, to one arm of a bell-crank lever 31, which bell-crank levell 31 is pivotally supported at its angle, as at 32, upon a bracket offset from one side of the cylinder, and the other arm of said bell-crank is pivotally connected to one end of a connecting-rod 34, carried by the strap 35 of the valve-operating eccentric 36, mounted on the drive-shaft 18.

Auxiliary live-steam ports 37 and 38 pierce the valve-seat 25 and communicate, respectively, With the main live-steam ports 23 and 24. The said auxiliary ports 37 and 38 are designed to be covered and uncovered by the auxiliary cut-off valves 39 and 40, carried, respectively, by the separate arms of a forked valve-carrying frame 41, bridging the main cut-off valve 28 and having an operating-stem 42 projecting exterior to the steam-chest and affording means whereby the ports 37 and 38 may be uncovered should it be desired to admit steam to the cylinder in the event of the engine having stopped with the main cut-olf valve covering the ports 23 and 24, with which the same cooperates.

In addition to the live-steam ports 23 and 24, communicating directly with the main cylinder-ports 16 and 17, the valve-casing 22 is partly pierced at the lower side thereof with the exhaust-ports 43 and 44, respectively,

communicating with the main cylinder-ports 16 and 17 and also designed to communicate, respectively, with the transversely-arranged exhausting-ducts 45 and 46, whichlead into a common main exhaust-passage 47, extending longitudinally through the valve-casing 22 substantially the entire length thereof and in communication with the outer air or a suitable pipe for leading away the exhaust. 4 In substantial parallelism to the main exhaust-passage 47 the valve-casing 22 is provided With a longitudinal cylindrical valveseat 48, intersecting the ports 43, 44, 45, and 46 and accommodating therein a turning reverse valve-plug 49. This valve-plug 49 corresponds in form to the seat 48 and is held to a registering fit therein by any suitable expedient. The said valve is provided with an exterior operating head or member 50 and is also provided with the separate sets of feed and exhaust openings 51 52 and 53 54. All of these openings are arranged in spaced relation, and those of each pair are disposed at different angles to each other, so that when one is in service the other is out of service.

Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, it will be observed that the reverse-valve plug 49 is in such position that the feed-opening 51 there- IOO IIO

of opens up the live-steam port 23, so as to permit the live-steam to feed to one side of the piston through the main cylinder-port 16. In this position the openings 52 and 53 of the plug 49 are turned to closing positions, while the exhaust-opening 54 of the plug is turned to a position for providing a free line of exhaust from the main cylinder-port 17 through the exhaust-mrt 44 and the said opening 54, exhausting duct 46, and thence into and through the main exhaust-passage 47. A reversal of this condition by a turning of the plug necessarily provides for reversing the direction of rotation of the engine.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, Vand many advantages of the herein-described rotary engine will be readily apparent without further description, and it will also be understood that changes in the form, proportion, and minor details ot' construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what isclaimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

l. In a rotary engine, the cylinder having an impact-abutment, cylinder-ports respectively at opposite sides of the same, the rotary piston, a valve-casing mountedvon the cylinder and provided with separate livesteam ports piercing the same and communieating with the separate cylinder-ports, said valve-casing being also provided with an exhaust-passage and separate exhaust-ports providing communication between the same and the separate cylinder-ports, a turning reversing-valve mounted in the casing and having openings cooperating with all of said ports, a steam-chest surmounting the valvecasing, and a power-actuated main cut-oft slide working in said chest in cooperation with said live-steam ports, substantially as Set forth.

2. In a rotary engine, the cylinder having an impact-abutment and cylinder-ports respectively at opposite sides of the same, the rotary piston, a valve-casing mounted on the cylinder and provided with separate livesteam ports piercing the same and communieating with the separate cylinder-ports, separate exhaust-ports partly piercing the casing and also communicating respectively with the 'separate cylinder-ports, a main exhaust-passage,transversely-arranged exhausting-ducts connecting the main exhaust-passage with the said separate exhaust-ports, and a longitudinally-arranged valve -seat intersecting the said exhausting-ducts and exhaust-ports, and a turning reversing-valve mounted in said seat and provided with separate pairs of feed and exhaust openings, those of each pair being disposed at dierent angles and designed to communicate respectively with one of the live-steam and exhaust ports of the casing.

3. In a rotary engine, the cylinder having an impact-abutment and main cylinder-ports respectively at opposite sides thereof, the rotary piston, the valve-casing mounted on the cylinder and having live-steam ports communicating respectively with the separate cylinder-ports, and also having auxiliary livesteam ports in communication with the main live-steam ports, a steam-chest surmounting the valve-casing and having a valve-seat pierced by the main and auxiliary live-steam ports, a power-actuated main cut-off slidevalve working over the main live-steam ports, and a manually-controlled valve-carrying frame having separate auxiliary valves Working respectively over the separate auxiliary live-steam ports.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

.TO-HN W. LARIMORE.

Witnesses:

R. L. CONLEE, G. R. BRADLEY. 

